Updated protocols assist us in determining our patient’s specific needs. As we move toward a more collaborative profession, we need to embrace these updates to identify those needs. We are presented with continuous challenges of new advances in products and technology and their use in dentistry and are in need of information to determine when and how to add them into our armamentaria. As professionals providing health services, our perception of product use along with protocols needs to be discussed with our team, as well as the interdisciplinary referrals we have. The process of care (assessment, diagnosis, treatment planning, implementation, evaluation, and documentation) requires a comprehension of protocols, products, and treatment options and how they are to be utilized.

LEARNING OBJECTIVE:

• Modify diagnosis assistance with the team and rationale for changes in assessment forms and diagnostic tools.
• Distinguish which new-to-market products should be brought into your practice.
• Integrate materials and products for a variety of uses in the dental office from infection control, dental hygiene therapy, oral cancer screening, patient communication, and instrumentation.
• Develop effective communication with patients and assist in the business of the dental practice.
• Formulate strategies that incorporate efficiency in patient treatment for more productive scheduling.